Carton



W. H. INMAN Dec. 23, 1958 CARTON 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 7, 1957 u n m I I I I l n I F/ga Ill!

INVENTOR. WILLIAM H. INMAN "/5 ATTORNEY Dec. 23, 1958 w. H. lNMAN 2,865,549

CARTON 7 Filed Feb. 7, 1957 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. WILLIAM H. INMAN HIS ATTORNEY United States CARTON Application February 7, 1957, Serial No. 638,736

6 Claims. (Cl. 22916) This invention relates to cardboard cartons, and more particularly to cardboard cartons adapted for holding a plurality of individual units of contents, one object be ing the provision of a more satisfactory carton of this type.

Many products are sold in the form of a plurality of separate units in individual cardboard packages. For example, in the food industry, such products might include individual cupcakes, tarts, or frozen comestibles, such as Tortoni and the like. These products are frequently provided in individual paper cups which then must be further packaged in units of half dozen or more for ease in handling and protection.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a more satisfactory carton for the packaging of such units.

Where a number ofsuch units are packaged in one container, it is often desirable to provide means for holding the individual units in separated relation to prevent them from sticking together or becoming otherwise dam aged prior to use. For this reason, it is another object of this invention to provide a carton embodying a tray having a plurality of receptacles or sockets capable of holding a plurality of individual units in separated relationship.

It is often desired to remove and use only a part of the contents of such a carton and to preserve the remainder for later use. In such cases, it is desirable to protect the remainder of the contents from handling and from contamination prior to their use. This ismost satisfactorily accomplished by the provision of a carton which may be opened in successive steps so only the part of the contents desired for immediate use is exposed, while the rest of the contents is protected from contamination. The provision of a carton embodying this feature is another object of this invention.

Further objects of this invention include the provision of a carton of the above description which is relatively simple, economical to manufacture, and which may be shipped in compact collapsed condition.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as-will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a cardboard blank for a carton embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view of the blank of Fig. 1 partially folded Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a carton embodying invention erected and in open position;

atent O Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the carton of Fig. 6 erected and fully closed, and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially along the lines 8-8 in Fig. 7.

A carton embodying the present invention, and herewith described for purposes of illustration, preferably comprises an outer container and an inner tray for holding the contents in spaced relationship. The outer container is manufactured from a one-piece cardboard blank, shown in Fig. 1, cut and scored to produce foldably connected front, bottom, back and cover walls 10, 12, 14 and 16, and a front cover flap 18, separated by parallel scored fold lines 11, 13, 15 and 17. A pair of front closure flaps 20 are foldably connected to the ends of front wall 10 at a pair of scored fold lines 19 and 21; a pair of side walls 22 are connected to the ends of bottom wall 12, and a pair of back closure flaps 24 are foldably connected to back wall 14. Similarly, a pair of side cover walls 26 are foldably connected to the ends of cover wall 16, and a pair of side flaps 28 are foldably connected to the ends of front cover flap 18.

Side walls 22 are provided with a pair of diagonal score lines 30 and 32 while side cover walls 26 are provided with a single diagonal score line 34 for purposes hereinafter described. Cover wall 16 and front cover flap 18 are provided with a pair of substantially parallel lines of weakening 36 extending from the free edge of flap 18 to scored fold line 15. Front wall 10 is provided with a pair of closure slits 38, and front closure flap 18 is provided with a pair of locking tongues 40 for cooperation with slits 38 as hereinafter described.

In the folding and gluing of the blank, front closure flaps 20 are folded inwardly over front wall 10, side walls 22 are folded inwardly of bottom wall 12, back closure flaps 24 are folded inwardly over back wall 14, side cover Walls 26 are folded inwardly over cover wall 16, and side cover flaps 28 are folded inwardly over front cover flap 18. In addition, side flaps 22 are again folded over about score lines 30 and 32 to form triangular portions 42 and 44 (Fig. 2) and side cover walls 26 are folded about score lines 34 to form triangular portions 46.- Glue is then applied to tn'angular portions 42, 44 and 46 as shown at 41, 43 and 45 in Fig. 2.

Front cover fiap 18 is then folded over upon cover wall 16 bringing side cover flaps 28 into contact with glued areas 45 on triangular portions 46, and front panel 10 is folded over upon bottom panel 12 bringing front closure flaps 20 into engagement with glued areas 41 on triangular portions 42 as illustrated in Fig. 3. The blank is then folded upon itself about line 13 as illustrated in Fig. 4, bringing back closure flaps 24 into contact with the glued areas 43 of triangular portions 44. This completes the folding of the blank of the outer container which then appears as shown in Fig. 4.

The blank for the inner tray is illustrated in Fig. 5. This blank comprises a sheet of cardboard having a rectangular body portion 50 having a plurality of holes or openings 52 for the reception of the contents of the carton as hereinafter described. Four flanges 54, 56, 58 and 60 are hingedly connected to body portion 50 at scored fold lines 62, 64, 66 and 68, respectively. Four substantially U-shaped slits 70 are cut in body portion 50 with the legs of the U crossing score lines 64 and 68 and extending into flanges 56 and 60, as illustrated in Fig. 5. The tray blank is shipped flat as described above, to the user, and is set up just prior to insertion in the outer container.

When it is desired to fill the carton, the user unfolds the outer container, setting the same up to form a substantially rectangular box as illustrated in Fig. 6. p

, The interior tray is set up by bending flanges 54, 56, 58 and. 60 downwardly at right angles to body 50. When this is done, the portions of the tray which are defined on three sides byslits 70, separate from body50' andremain substantially coplanar with flaps 56 and 69, respectively, to form upstanding tabs 71 (-Figs. 6 and ,8), leaving notches 73 in-body 50. The interior tray is then inserted in the outer container with flanges 54, 5 6," 58 and-G0, lying-against the inside of the frontfis ide and baclc or rear walls of the outer'container, and'tabsw'l extending above and covering locking-slits38. Thegcontentsiare placed in position in holes 52, as illustrated in Fig. 6. The tray thus holds the units 'ofcontents'in separated condition and protects them from contact'with each other and with the Walls of the carton.

The carton 'is then closed and 'locked by theinsertion of locking tongues dtl in'locking sli-ts'38.

*Each of slits 38in front wallpreferably comprises a horizontal slit 72 (Fig. 6) spaced from and parallel with the'e-dges of front panel 10, and two short slits 74 "intersecting slit 72-at right'angles at a position spaced When the carton is closed, fingers 78-and the adjacent portion of front'wall 10 are bent inwardly slightly to open slit 72 and thehe'ad 82 of locking tongue 40 is inserted therein. This inward bending of fingers 78 is made "possible by notches'73 in body of the liner which prevent the horizontalvbody from rigidly supporting front wall 10 at-this' point. Upwardly extending tabs 71-also are free to bend'inwardly atthis point, but since they extend above slits'72, theyforrn guides-for the ends of 'hea'ds 82 of tongues 40 guiding the same downwardly between-front wall 10 and flange56 as shown in Fig: 8.

Thus tabs 71'insure thesr'nooth interengag'e'ment -of the locking parts.

After tongues 40 have been inserted as described above, fingers 78 and theremainder of front Wall 10 snap back to their original position. When in this position, the edges of the slits 72 are out of line with shoulders 84 of head 82, and lo'cking tongues 40 can therefore not be withdrawn, since'shoulders-84 engage the edges of slits 74 and 72. The carton is thus securely locked.

When the user'obtains the carton and its contents, he may desire to use only a portion of the latter. In this case, it is desirable'to expose only a part of the contents, leaving the rest protected from contamination and damage by the coverof "the carton. This may be accomplishedby grasping the center of the free edge of front cover flap '18 and pulling the same upwardly. The entire cover will not open because of the interengagement of locking tongues 4tl-and slits' '38, but the frontflap and cover willeasily-tear' along lines ofiweakening 36, to expose the center portion of the 'contents. Thus this portion'ofthe' contents may be removed-for use without uncovering the portions of the contents: at either'end and subjecting the same to handling or contamination. When it is desired to remove the rest of the -contents,-the end portions of the carton m'ay be easily opened by grasping the ends of front cover flap 18 and breaking'the relatively narrow body portion 80 of tongues 40,-opening the remainder of the cover andexposing the contents thereof.

It will thus be seen that the invention accomplishes its objects and while it has been herein disclosed by reference to -the details of a preferred embodiment, it is 'to be understood that such disclosure isintended in'an illustrative, rather than a limiting sense, as it-is*contemplat'ed that various modifications in the construction and'arrange- 'ment of the parts will readily occur to those skilled in the art, within the spirit of the inventiou'and the. Scppeof the appended claims.

-I claim:

' 1."A rectangular carton having bottom, front, rear, and side walls, a cover, said cover having a top portion hingedly connected to said rear Wall and having front and side cover flaps extending at substantially right angles from the edges thereof and overlying said front and side walls, a horizontal slit insaid front wall, a locking tongue attached to said front coverflap for cooperation with said slit for locking said cover in closed position, and an interior article receiving tray comprising a horizontal sheet having marginal, downwardly extending flanges, one of said flanges having an upwardly extending tab lying against said front wall and covering said slit for guiding said locking tongue.

2. A rectangular carton having. bottom, front, rear and side walls, a cover, said cover having a top portion hingedly connected to said rear wall and having front and side cover flaps extending at substantially rightangles from-the edges thereof andoverlying said front and side walls, a horizontal slit in said front wall, a locking tongue attached to'said front cover flap for cooperation with said slit for locking said cover-in closed position, and an interior article receiving tray comprising a horizontal sheet having-marginal, downwardly depending flanges, one of said flanges having an upwardly extending tab lying against said front wall and covering said slit for guiding said locking tongue,- said horizontal sheet being formed with a'marginal indentation adjacent said tab for allowing limited inwarddeflection of said front wall and said 30* tab for opening said slit for thereception-of' said locking tongue.

3. A rectangular carton having bottom, front, rear and sidewalls, a cover, saidcoverhaving a top-portion hingedly connected tosaid rear walland having front and side cover fiaps extending at substantially right angles from the-edges thereof and'overlying said front and side --walls,--a pairof horizontal slits in said'front wall, a pair of-,:lockingtongues attached to said front cover "flap for cooperation with "said slits for 'locking 'said'cover "in closedposition, two lines of weakening extending from the hinged connection between said top portion and said rear wall to the free edge of said front cover flap,said lines ofweakening being positioned inwardly of said loclo ing tongues, whereby the central part of said'top portion =and'front cover flap may be opened for exposing the central portion of the contents of said carton, and an interior =article receiving tray comprising a horizontal sheet having-marginal, downwardly depending flanges, one of said flanges having upwardly extending tabs lying against said front wall and coveringsaid slitsfor guiding said locking tongues, said horizontal sheet being formed with marginal indentations adjacent said tabs for allowing limited inward deflection of said front wall and'said tabs -for opening saidslits .for the reception ofmsaidlocking tongues.

- 4.. A rectangular. carton having bottom,. front,trear and side walls, acover, said coverhavingxa' topportion hingedly connected to said rear wall and having ,front'and side covergflapsextending at. substantially rightuangles from the edges thereof and overlying saidlfront and side walls, a.horizontal slit 'in said front-wall, a plurality of vertical slits abutting said horizontal slit at substantially right angles and forming vertically extending fingers, a locking tongue attachedto said front cover flap and comprising an elongated body-portion, and a head. Portion wider than said body portion-and forming a pair of projecting shoulders for engagement with theredges of said slit, and an interior article receivingtray comprising a horizontal sheet having marginal, downwardly depending flanges, one of said flanges having an upwardly extending tab lying against said front wall and covering said horizontal slit for guiding said locking tongue.

5. A rectangular carton having bottom, front, rear and, side walls, va cover, said cover ,having. a, top; portion hingedly connected .tQ-said rear wallandhaving frontand side cover flaps extending at substantially right angles from the edges thereof and overlying said front and side walls, a horizontal slit in said front wall, a plurality of vertical slits joining said horizontal slits at substantially right angles and forming vertically extending fingers, a locking tongue attached to said front cover flap, said locking tongue comprising an elongated body portion and head portion wider than said body portion for forming a pair of projecting shoulders for engagement with the edges of said slit, and an interior article receiving tray comprising a horizontal sheet having marginal, downwardly depending flanges, one of said flanges having an upwardly extending tab lying against said front wall and covering said horizontal slit for guiding said locking tongue, said horizontal sheet being formed with marginal indentations adjacent said tab for allowing limited inward deflection of said vertically extending fingers and said tab for opening said horizontal slit for the reception of said locking tongue.

6. A rectangular carton having bottom, front, rear and side walls, a cover, said cover having a top portion hingedly connected to said rear wall and having front and side cover flaps extending at substantially right angles from the edges thereof and overlying said front and side walls, a horizontal slit in said front wall, a locking tongue attached to said front cover flap for cooperation with said slit for locking said cover in closed position and an interior article receiving tray comprising a horizontal sheet having marginal, downwardly extending flanges for supporting said sheet in spaced relation to said bottom wall, the side flange adjacent said carton front wall having spaced slits therein extending into said sheet to form an upwardly extending tab lying against said front wall over said slit therein for guiding said locking tongue and to form a marginal indentation in said sheet adjacent said slit to provide clearance for limited inward deflection of said carton front wall for opening said slit for the reception of said locking tongue.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,280,652 Boyd Oct. 8, 1918 1,499,369 Holland July 1, 1924 2,115,673 Stompe Apr. 26, 1938 2,160,643 Burel May 30, 1939 2,789,750 Kramer Apr. 23, 1957 

